The short version is that among 380 wireless application developers surveyed,
30% use Microsoft SQL Server as a backend,
20% use MySQL,
16% use Oracle.

Microsoft can offer bundles, so they can just offer SQL Server cheaply so long as companies have the MSDN service (I don’t know if they do, but they can). MySQL and Oracle are standalone offerings — no bundles. And as an embedded database, a MySQL license must be bought.

So this research shows that when customers have to pay for a database, they choose MySQL over Oracle. Granted, they choose Microsoft SQL Server over both.

Now, many folks say I’m a MySQL nut. I am, but that’s not the point — I do not advocate that MySQL is the only database to use. In fact, I think competition is wonderful, and I am happy about the existence of Oracle, PostgreSQL, Sybase and DB2. I have never tried to convert a company from using the solution that works for them to using MySQL. And MySQL has many problems.